The diffused, velvet texture of a matte lip is autumn’s answer to summer’s shiny, juicy lip gloss. But for fall and winter 2025, the new iteration is straight-up dry — as in, “I just got off a long flight without any balm in sight” dry.
Scroll on BeautyTok where matte lips are trending, and you’ll see influencers applying liquid pigment that sets to a powdery finish — and then it just keeps on drying. The result? Wrinkled, dehydrated lips that somehow look intentional.
Are Dry Lips Trendy?
In a world where everyone has at least five lip balms on their person at any given time, it seems sacrilegious to step out with a visibly dehydrated pout. And yet — this isn’t the first time a beauty trend has flipped the script.
“Tired girl” makeup recently went viral as a way to embrace the look of exhaustion — dark circles and all (some people were even painting them on). Blue and purple under-eye bags became aspirational. For similar purposefully undone beauty aesthetics, see also: messy buns, chipped nail polish, and overgrown roots, all of which have been rebranded as stylish due to their IDGAF vibe.
A dry, wrinkled, slightly flaky lip is simply the next frontier of low-effort chic. Instead of scrubbing, moisturizing, lining, and then painting your lips to perfection with a hydrating wash of color, it’s all about shrugging and embracing a little mess. Does your pout look like it hasn’t touched a bottle of water in over 24 hours? Perfect.
How To Rock It
Maybe a matte lipstick that emphasizes dryness irritates you, but — according to an increasing number of creators on TikTok — that’s the whole point. In fact, it accentuates your pout by adding texture and dimension, and it also looks lived-in and relaxed. Think of it as the evolution of the blurred lip trend — one that flaunts every crack and crinkle.
To give it a try, you can grab any matte lipstick off the shelf, swipe it on, and go about your day. If it starts to flake, congratulations — you’re trending. Resist every instinct to apply a balm; hydration is so last season.
